Burning Hands
by N I G H T C R A W L E R2
Summary: NON-JAT- Another one! I can't really describe it. Cray Lockhart is a mutant. Unfortunately, she found this out very tragically. This involves lots of new characters for X-Men. Read my explaination. You'll get it.
1. Default Chapter

EXPLAINATION:  
  
Allrighty. This is obviously my summary, which I couldn't fit all of into that little space they give you.  
  
Cray Lockhart is a mutant. Unfortunately, she found this out in a misfortunate way. After killing her best friend, the love of her life, her worst rival and her father, she runs away from home. Fortunately for the story's sake, she finds Bayville. This will record the adventures of this young and confused mutant, who has a terrible secret. A secret that could save the world.  
  
Through this story you will hear about other mutants, who I will tell stories about later, mainly, (most likely) Jessica, Lina and Vincent. They are the main characters, mostly, other than Cray.  
  
Now, here are the profiles for all the new mutants at the Institute (All of them, unfortunately for the Brotherhood, have a certain pact with Xavier. However Cray, does not. You'll learn about this in the future.) I am going to list they're powers, age, etc, just so you'll know a little more about them!  
  
  
  
Name: Cray Lockhart  
  
Codename: Crusifyx (Used for both X-Men and Brotherhood.)  
  
Age: 15, a freshman in high school.  
  
Affixiation: X-Men/Brotherhood  
  
Power: When coming on contact with other things, her hands emit a wave of heat, which by touch, can melt or turn anything into ashes.  
  
  
  
Name: Jessica Filaris  
  
Codename: Angel  
  
Age: 17  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: Large angel wings for flying, furred elven ears enabling acute hearing, the power to heal by touch, calming souls, and sometimes the power to read thoughts.  
  
  
  
Name: Vincent Valis  
  
Codename: Phantom  
  
Age: 16  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: The power to manipulate shadows. He can use them as dopplegangers with the same abilities as the original.  
  
  
  
Name: Lina Misui  
  
Codename: Tsunami  
  
Age: 15  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: Can manipulate water. Strange blue hair. When she becomes to hot, her hair turns red, and she can only manipulate hot water.  
  
  
  
Name: Daniel Murray  
  
Codename: Poltergeist  
  
Age: 17  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: Possession. He can seep into someone's soul and overtake they're body.  
  
  
  
Name: Robert Gallandro  
  
Codename: Sketch  
  
Age: 17  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: The power to turn any painting, drawing or scuplture to life.  
  
  
  
Name: Justin Filaris  
  
Codename: Ranger  
  
Age: 16  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: The power to summon animals.  
  
  
  
Name: Chris Hemming  
  
Codename: Descresendo  
  
Age: 16  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: The power to shrink to a size that is 1/60 of his normal height.  
  
  
  
Name: Jose Rodreques  
  
Codename: insect  
  
Age: 17  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: The power to morph into a fly.  
  
  
  
Name: George Davis  
  
Codename: Balloon  
  
Age: 15  
  
Affixiation: X-Men  
  
Power: Self Inflation 


	2. Prolouge

((Author's Note: This story is actually my redo of a story written by a friend, Oxymoron, about a girl named Cray who comes to find she has powers. In Oxy's story, Cray isn't a mutant, as in X-Men: Evolution wise, but after begging Oxy to let me take control of the story, I've finally found my pillage. However, there was a request from my dear friend. She requested that Cray's story be turned into a whole revalation featuring the characters she and Takera made together. The story of Cray had been predecided by her and Takera, but she wanted someone who she believes wrote better stories to author it. When asking Oxymoron about the character of Cray, she revealed to me that Cray was actually a part of her. She said that for the story 'To Hunt and Be Hunted' she divided herself into two parts, a more serious half, and a crazy hyperactive half, known in THABH as Heather. Mikhael, who is actually a part of Takera, and Kelsey, who is supposed to be Neko-Kelcie, also appear in the story, soon to be a novel Oxymoron writes all her own. Unfortunately, a novel will take another year or so to write, and I just can't wait that long for her to finish. Therefore, I am going to speed up the flow of time, and give you all a quick briefing on the story 'To Hunt and Be Hunted', which will be the backline for this story. I will title this the prolouge of my story.))  
  
((Disclaimer: All the characters in the prolouge belong to Oxymoron, even Fatso the stuffed penguin. And it is true, Oxymoron (or Heather, as is her real name) does own a stuffed Penguin named Fatso. There is also one named Piggy, and one name Oz. She comments that these are not the actual names of her penguins, but nicknames. Don't ask.))  
  
  
  
Burning Hands  
  
by N I G H T C R A W L E R  
  
Prolouge  
  
Cray sat upright in her bed again. It burned so much, like hot needles rushing throughout her veins. Sweat from the previous dream dripped onto her white bedsheets, and her panting breath drowned out the sound of the televison downstairs from her own ears.  
  
She threw the sheet off of her legs, also stinging with pain from the beating usually recieved around 7:00 Pm from her father. She made her way over the cold wooden floor to the bathroom, where she ran the cold water over her hand. The burning did not stop.  
  
She held in the screams. If her father found out she was awake, he would come upstairs and she would recieve another dose of his 'method of teaching.' All he wanted was for her to make money for the family.  
  
And the burning never ceased. Her hands still felt like flaming hot rods at the ends of her arms.  
  
Cray leaned forward, her breath hardening, her heart beating at a extreme rate. She fell to the floor, her body spilled out all over the cold tile floor. Her hair was sticking to her face, the perspiration drawing in more heat. She coulding think. Her headache had taken over her skull.  
  
She pressed her hands into her head, only to feel the skin of her scalp sizzle. And she screamed. She screamed loud, and until she lost her breath, and passed out.  
  
  
  
  
  
Cray awoke to find herself laying in her bed. Who'd moved her? Surely her mother or father had. But why? They weren't very compassionate people, she'd learned the hard way. She looked out the window to the right, to be met by a sunny, bright day. It was a school day, but she knew it must be past time for her to be in.  
  
There was a presense beside her, and then a hand touched her bare shoulder. Bare? She hadn't been wearing a tanktop when she passed out. She noticed that the fabric had been changed from her body. She wasn't as hot as before. She turned her head, and her grey lifeless eyes met the crystalline blues of Jessica, her longtime friend.  
  
Behind Jessica stood Daniel, the love of her life, and the 'beatniks', Heather and Kelsey. They all looked concerned, but happy that she was awake.  
  
"Jess? Daniel? Beatniks? What are you doing here?" Cray sat upright, and Jessica leaned forward to catch the wet cloth which Cray hadn't noticed had been resting on her forehead.  
  
Daniel was the first to smile, and sat beside her on the bed. "Cray? Is everything okay? I came over this morning when you didn't make it to the bus stop, and found you on the floor in your bathroom." He looked concerned the most. Thank the lord for Daniel, he was always there when she needed him. A true best friend.  
  
But the night before was a blur to Cray. She didn't really comprehend what Daniel was saying. For all she knew, she'd been in her bed all night, fast asleep.  
  
"And when Daniel nor you came to school, Kelsey, Heather and I came over to see what was wrong," Jessica added, pressing the cold cloth against Cray's shoulder. It felt good.  
  
Cray looked at all the faces of her friends. They were all there. Every single one.  
  
Heather stepped forward, and placed a wreath of flowers on the wall over Cray's head. "May the spirits of the wind protect her and keep her in harmony until death do us all part," She whispered. She was so strange.  
  
Heather also handed Cray a stuffed penguin. "And may Fatso protect her as well." Daniel and Jessica gave eachother a look of incoherence, but Cray tried to ignore it. She knew Heather was only trying to be nice.  
  
Kelsey and Heather exited, and so did Jessica. Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, staying with Cray for a little while longer.  
  
  
  
  
  
Tiffany knew she had no business sneaking around Cray's house, especially when she was supposed to be at school. But still, the thought of her beloved Daniel not being at school on the same exact day Cray and Jessica were missing, made her ponder whether or not there really was a relationship going on between them.  
  
She pretended to be ill when she arrived to school, so thankfully the teacher excused her to go home. Thankfully. Now she was wrapped in an expensive prada shawl and carrying a pot of stew, walking down the one street she never imagined looking at from any other angle than from the bus stop.  
  
When she spotted the apartment complex, she noticed three bikes and a skateboard parked outside. She knew the skateboard belonged to Daniel, and obviously those damned Beatniks and Jessica, the one girl in Montrose that actually gave her compedtition lookswise, were there.  
  
She'd noticed when Jessica first entered the school that she would soon have a rival. Especially for the sake of Daniel. She always knew he liked Leighann, but Leigh never wanted to have anything to do with him, because she was 'head over heels' in love with Jess Oliver.  
  
Tiffany stood on the stoop of the complex now, a ever tainted smirk of pink on her lips. This would be the day. This would be the day she finally captured Daniel's heart.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Two of Hearts." Cray called out. She and the rest of her friends were all in a circle on the floor of her bedroom. Playing Go-Fish, because it was against Jessica's religion to play poker, and the Beatniks didn't know how to play spoons. Daniel and Cray loved card games, ever since they were kids.  
  
Daniel set his cards down. "Why do you always win?" He asked cheerfully with a smile. "Ever since we were kids the odds have been stacked in your favor, Cray." With that, he collected all the cards and put them away. "How about some lunch?" He stood, and extended a hand to Jessica. "Heather, you and Kelsey keep Cray company while me and Jess run down to Burger King, okay?"  
  
Heather and Kelsey nodded, and the two of them were off.  
  
  
  
  
  
Tiffany was a bit afraid to knock on the door. Maybe because she knew that Cray possessed that mystical power she was so afraid of. The one that had burned her lovely skin on the first day back from winter break. But she wanted Daniel's love so bad. She raised her hand to knock when the door opened, revealing Daniel and Jessica.  
  
Daniel stopped in his tracks at the sight of Tiffany, and raised his brow. "What do you want?" The words cold. There was no passion in him for such a person that was so filled with strong hatred. Jessica didn't look as mean, but yet, a bit frightened.  
  
Tiffany held up the pot and smiled. "Stew. My mother made it when I told her that Cray was sick. She thinks Cray is still my friend but, ugh, mothers." She handed it to Daniel, and his face displayed a bit of compassion.  
  
"Wow, Tiffany. Thank you.. I.. don't know what to say." He handed the pot to Jessica, who set it on the counter of the kitchen.  
  
Tiffany smiled. Her plan was working perfectly. "You're welcome, Daniel."  
  
  
  
  
  
Heather and Kelsey giggled excitedly as they read some of Cray's diary. She didn't really mind that they were discovering her personal life, until..  
  
"Cray? Your hands burn?" Heather looked up at Cray in concern. Cray shook her head, trying to lie her way out of this sticky situation.  
  
"I'm trying to write a novel about a girl who's hand's burn when she touches unholy people." Cray laid back. She hoped she did a good job of hiding her secret. "I think I just heard the door open. I'll be right back." Cray walked to her door, and walked downstairs. She saw Jessica, sitting on the couch. "What's wrong, Jess?"  
  
Jessica hopped up as soon as she could, and rushed over to Cray, trying to stop her from turning the corner. "No, Cray, Don't!" Cray already had pushed herself to see what was going on in the small hall to the front door, and she was already astonished.  
  
She could fell the tears welling up inside, and could barely hold them back until little streams of red were pouring from each of her grey orbs. Her mouth gaped open, and even though Cray didn't notice, her hands were beginning to burn. But the pain came worst from her chest. Her heart. It had been broken, snapped in two.  
  
The sight she saw-- was Daniel kissing Tiffany, the one person in the world Cray couldn't do but hate. And he was the love of her life. Kissing. The one. She hated.  
  
Cray swallowed hard, but the tears of blood kept pouring. Her mind was jumbled. She couldn't think. She couldn't breath. It was the same thing that had happened to her the night before. The room began spinning around her, and finally she felt the pain in her hands. This time the pain was worse than ever, and she screamed bloody murder.  
  
And now she was soaked in the blood of sorrow, a puddle forming at her feet. She couldn't help it. The pain. The sorrow. The hatred. It was all rising. And so was her body.  
  
Jessica was astonished. Never in her life had she seen something so terrifying. She spotted Tiffany and Daniel, staring in horror as well. Kelsey and Heather watched from the stairs, holding eachother in fright.  
  
Cray's body burst into flames. She still screamed. There was more blood. More anger. And soon the whole room became a spinning inferno of hell.  
  
Only three lives were lost that time. Can you guess who?  
  
  
  
  
  
Kelsey stopped running almost a mile from the burning apartments, Heather straight ahead of her. They were both out of breath, and scared to death. "Did you.." Heather started.  
  
"See what happened? Yes, I.." Kelsey finished.  
  
"Did." Heather looked back to the building. "But what was it?" Heather gripped onto the pole of the stop sign, and drew in a lot of air. "She was crying blood."  
  
Kelsey looked worriedly into her best friend's eyes. "We'd better go somewhere, fast."  
  
"Mikhael's house is down the street."  
  
"Lets go!"  
  
  
  
  
  
Later that evening, after the whole room was burned, and the fires had stopped, Cray awoke. The room was pitch black, the walls scarred with char. She looked to spy two bodies by the door. One of them was Daniel, she knew it. Another, Tiffany. The body beside her was Jessica.  
  
Sooty eyes began to tear up, as she lifted what was left of Jessica's limp corpse. "Jessica." She looked up at the ceiling through her tears. "You can't be.. no you aren't." She choked on her words, and looked to the door, which was opening. Her father! But Cray couldn't stop crying. "Jessica.."  
  
Her father looked striken with fear. He kicked the dead body of Daniel. "Stupid Pyromaniac. He did this, didn't he?!" He voice tone rose, and he was yelling at her now, she still holding Jessica's body.  
  
Cray couldn't answer, all she could do was look at him in fear of anticipation of what would've happened next.  
  
"Tell you, you stupid bitch!" He accelerated, and slapped her across the face. Her head swung to the side, and tears began welling up again. They burned, like her hands. The blood dripped on the floor from her sockets.  
  
However, she found the strength to speak. "I.. I killed.. th..them.."  
  
His eyes lit up in fear. Never could he imagine the pipsqueak of a daughter he had could kill three people, let alone set a house ablaze. His only response was: "How?"  
  
"I don't know." She looked up, the blood flowing freely down her cheeks. "I just don't know!"  
  
All of a sudden there was rage. Between the both of them. He was angry because of the state of the apartment, she was angry because of all the beatings she'd recieved in her one lifetime.  
  
Suddenly there was nothing between them.  
  
Then there was a death.  
  
Ash.  
  
And Cray was standing over the dead body of her father. She'd killed him.  
  
Cray looked around the room. What was going on with her body? Unable to even think at the moment, she tore out of the house, out of the complex, down the street, and finally, out of the city of Montrose. 


	3. Chronicle I

((Author's Notes: Oxymoron decided that Cray deserved a spot with something bigger. You know. But I just don't want a total act of Mary-Sue-ism, on Cray's part. Of course, I'd want to pair her up with a guy, but it seems as if everyone pairs they're character up with Pietro…))

((Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution, and if I did, heaven knows that Xavier wouldn't exist, Jean Grey would be mangled and ugly, Kitty would be missing (She'd be in my bedroom!) and Storm would be sent to concentration camp… I don't exactly own Cray, but I do own the rest of the mutants in the story that are not on the television show. Takera owns part of Vincent Valis. ))

Burning Hands 

By N I G H T C R A W L E R

Bayville. The most boring town she could ever come across, and Cray was about to live there. How exciting. It was almost silent in the middle of the night. There was a slight noise in the background, but nothing much. It was a quiet peaceful place. Exactly what Cray needed. 

She went to the nearest gas station, and took a seat beside it's dumpster. She wrapped her wool sweater around her hands and opened her book bag, and pulled out the only food she'd brought with her, a banana. She peeled it and took a big bite. Her stomach called out for more. She took another huge bite, polishing off the banana. She sighed, and tossed the peel away. 

The rest of the night was a blur of cars, cigarette ashes on the part of passers by, and Cray, huddled up behind a dumpster.

The next morning was bright. She didn't want to have to bother the store clerk, so she picked the lock to the bathroom. It was quite smelly inside. She closed the door behind herself and slid off her jacket, always keeping the wool wrapped around her hands. She set her book bag on the toilet seat, and opened it.

She ran the cold water in the sink, and splashed some on her face. It stank, and was soaking her sweater. But it was making her just a bit cleaner than she was before…

She threw her jacket back on when she had finished cleaning herself, and walked out. The day was very early, and she had to get something to eat before she starved to death.

Pietro was bored. 'Boredboredboredboredboredboredbored… ' He had absolutely nothing to do this bright Monday morning. It was only 7:00, and he'd been up for ten minutes. 'Boredboredboredboredboredboredboredboredboredbored..' 

He walked downstairs, to find Toad and Fred sitting at the kitchen table, and Lance nowhere to be seen. Pietro sat on the couch, and sighed.

'Boredboredboredboredboredboredboredbored.'

Tabitha rushed down the stairs, and over to the table. "Pour me some Pops, Toady." 

Toad shook his head. "There ain't no mo'."

"Then how about some Frosted Flakes?"

"There ain't no mo'."

"Lucky Charms?"

"There ain't no mo'."

"Where's all the cereal, Toad?!" She placed her hands on her hips, almost demanding to know where all the food in the house was. No one really liked her being there. It was like Toad had said much longer before. 'This is the Brotherhood, not the Sisterhood.'

Toad pointed a pale finger at Fred, who was searching the fridge for more food. Tabitha threw her arms up in the air. "This isn't right! That fatty is eating us out of house and home! Look at me! I'm famished!"

Fred defended himself rather poorly, but was still fighting back. "I'm bigger than you! I need more food than you to live!"

"Yeah, right! You could probably feed yourself and several others if you started eating yourself!" She grabbed at the jar of peanut butter Fred was holding. He did a fine job of keeping it away from her.

Fred finally won the battle, and Tabitha sulked over to Pietro. "We need money. Badly." She sat beside him, and pouted, trying to look cute. Pietro just thought she looked ridiculous.

"Alright, alright. I'll do something about the money." He turned toward the door, and was out in a flash.

Cray decided on Cheetos. They were filling, cheap, and cheesy. The perfect food for a famished teenager. 

She made her way up to the counter at the front, with the package of chips resting on the cloth between her hands. She let that slide upon the counter, and then wrapped it tighter to fish the money out of her pocket.

But at the moment she was doing that, the bell to the door of the Quick stop gave a little 'ping.' There was a strong wind, which pulled her sweater off of her hands, and she felt something brush they're bare skin. Before she and the clerk knew it, there was a boy lying on the floor with a singe mark on the sleeve of his sweater.

Cray looked down at it in horror. It was an accident. She hadn't meant for anything like that to happen.

The clerk's eyes were wide with fear as well, but not enough fear to stop him from reaching under the front desk for a gun. Cray reacted quickly and wrapped her sweater around her hands, and drug him out of the store, and across the street.

When she made it, she dropped to her knees beside Pietro's body on the grass. She knew she hadn't killed him. Thank goodness.

She shook him. "Excuse me? Please wake up." Pietro stirred just a bit, and sat up, holding his head. Cray watched him worriedly. "I'm really sorry. You see, you accidentally touched my skin, and…"

"Itsallright. Noproblem." He stood and brushed off his clothing. She stood as well, and smiled weakly. "Well, gottago. Seeya."

Pietro was about to run off, when he heard the small voice call after him. "Wait, please," He stopped his motions, turned, and looked at her, almost angrily.

"Yeah? Whatisit? Whatdoyouwant?" Pietro jogged in place impatiently. He didn't really have time to be talking to some dumb girl that scorched his favorite shirt. 'Hurry up, girlie. I'm going to form calluses because of you.'

Cray pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled. "I was wondering if I could go with you, wherever you were going."

Pietro stopped jogging and let out a godlike grin. 'Have I scored?' 

"Ah don't get it, professor! Whay do _we_ have to help ya get this new recruit?" The professor had summoned the whole team of X-Men after he'd seen Cray's profile on Cerebro.

"Vas ist das? Herr professor, have we found a new recruit?" Kurt had walked up behind the man in the wheelchair, sitting at the large computer. The picture of a girl was spinning around on the screen. She looked about Kitty's height and weight, with auburn locks of hair pulled back in a strange looking bun. Her eyes were also a interesting shade of gray, he noticed.

The professor had turned in his wheel chair to face Kurt. "I believe so, Kurt. Round up the whole team."

And now, there they were, the whole team, sitting lazily in the Blackbird. 

Jean and Kitty were of course, talking up a storm. Ororo Munroe, otherwise known as storm was sitting behind the professor, who was sitting beside Logan, who was piloting. Cyclops, Spyke and Nightcrawler were in three separate chairs behind them.

"Just think, yo. A new girl. This won't be too bad." Evan commented. Both Cyclops and Nightcrawler agreed. 

"I wonder what she's like…" Cyclops said, his voice half trailing off. He and Jean had had a fight, over, of course, the issue of Duncan, who she was seeing by this time. Scott was trying to bring himself to see another woman.

Nightcrawler decided to brag. "I saw her. She's really pretty!" He said pretty too loud, and received a harsh look from Kitty. Kurt lowered his head. He'd asked Kitty before to try the dating thing with him, but she told him 'not right now, Kurt.'

"We should be coming up upon where she is in a few minutes, team," Xavier said, turning around to look at the teenagers. "We will land the blackbird about a quarter of a mile away, so there will be some walking."

"Or some porting," Kitty giggled, blushing over at Kurt.

The professor smiled slightly and looked back out to the front. He knew he'd been successful in finding a perfect team, and now he was getting new additions. 

"HEY! LANCE! GET DOWN HERE! FAST!" He turned back to me with a snort, and in a matter of seconds, another boy was beside him. This one was a bit scrubby, but kind of handsome. He was tall, and his face was clean. But his brown hair was unruly. Cray kind of liked that look. 

The new boy, whose name was obviously Lance, studied her over. "I've never seen her at school before. Maybe she is new. Why are you here?"

Cray looked around, and stuttered upon her words, trying to find the right thing to say to both of them. "I..I was l-looking.. for a p..place to stay.." 

Lance looked to the other boy, and extended a hand. "Okay, then. I'm Lance. This is Pietro." Cray looked down at his hand, trying to decide whether or not to shake it. She shook her head finally.

"Nice to meet you, Lance and Pietro." She murmured, and let out a slight smile. Lance scratched his head, and walked off. Pietro stayed behind. He was already full of questions for this girl to answer.

"So, what's your name, where you from, why didn't you shake Lance's hand?" The questions rolled off his tounge shamelessly, like a never-ending river of words.

She turned back to him, and smiled. "My name," she said, quietly. "Is Cray Lockhart. I'm from Westchester. And I didn't shake his hand because…" She looked to the side, and then looked back up at him. "Well… This is going to sound stupid, but…" She studied his face a moment longer, but then came out with it. "Because when I touch people, they burn and turn to ashes."

Pietro smirked, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "A mutant?" 

Cray took a step back, in surprise. "What do you mean…?"

"We're all mutants here," he continued, as if she had never asked him the question before. "Lance has the power to create earthquakes. Toad is like a frog, basically. Freddy, or the Blob as we call him, is invulnerable in certain spots of his body, mainly the stomach, and I, I'm a pure speed demon." He flashed another award winning smile.

Cray smiled brightly. "Really? Wow. This makes it a whole lot easier!" She giggled, and watched Pietro walk up the stairs, following Lance.

Lance spotted Pietro, and motioned toward the room Cray was still in. "So what are we going to do with her?"

Pietro smiled, and placed a hand on his hip. "I say we keep her."


End file.
